Receptive Language Therapy
Supporting children who struggle to understand language, follow directions, or process what they hear. When children do not understand, they cannot respond appropriately, affecting learning and social interactions.
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What is Receptive Language?
Receptive language is how we understand what others say: following directions, understanding questions, comprehending vocabulary and concepts. Children with receptive language difficulties may seem like they are not listening, but they are actually struggling to process language.
Receptive language includes: understanding vocabulary, following directions, comprehending questions, grasping concepts like time, size, and location, and processing the flow of conversation.
Because receptive language is invisible, we cannot see what someone understands, so difficulties are often mistaken for behavior problems, attention issues, or defiance. Children with receptive challenges often work twice as hard to keep up.
Not Just "Not Listening"
Children with receptive language difficulties often try extremely hard to follow along. They may watch peers for cues, become anxious in group settings, or shut down when overwhelmed. Understanding the difference changes everything.
Signs Your Child May Benefit
- Difficulty following multi-step directions
- Frequently saying "what?" or asking for repetition
- Seeming confused by questions or instructions
- Trouble understanding concepts (colors, sizes, locations, time)
- Difficulty answering questions appropriately
- Appearing to "tune out" during conversations
- Watching peers to see what to do instead of listening
- Taking longer than peers to process and respond
- Misinterpreting what others say
- Difficulty with reading comprehension
- Trouble following stories or movies
What Receptive Language Challenges Look Like
These everyday situations reveal how receptive language difficulties affect children. The challenge is not willfulness; it is processing.
""Get your shoes and put them by the door" results in confusion or only partial completion"
""What did you do at school?" gets an off-topic or confused response"
"Struggles with words like before/after, bigger/smaller, or spatial terms"
"Watches peers for cues about what to do instead of listening to instructions"
How Receptive Language Therapy Helps
Through targeted activities, we strengthen comprehension skills and teach strategies for when understanding breaks down.
What to Expect
Receptive language therapy builds comprehension skills systematically, giving children the tools to understand and participate confidently.
Receptive Language Assessment
We evaluate vocabulary knowledge, ability to follow directions, question comprehension, and concept understanding.
Processing Evaluation
We assess how your child processes auditory information, including speed, memory, and ability to filter distractions.
Individualized Goals
Based on assessment, we target specific areas: vocabulary, directions, questions, or concepts.
Active Therapy Sessions
Through games and activities, we practice comprehension skills with increasing complexity.
Strategy Teaching
We teach strategies for when comprehension breaks down: asking for repetition, visualizing, chunking information.
Carryover Support
We provide strategies for parents and teachers to support comprehension everywhere.
Concerned About Your Child's Comprehension?
Schedule a free consultation to discuss your concerns. We will help you understand whether an evaluation is the right next step and what receptive language therapy could look like for your family.
Schedule Free Consultation